That’s laminate. Might be a Corian edge. That was a thing. Might be a marbelized piece of wood molding. That was a thing too. Poke your head under and get a pic or two of the counter underside.

Laminate with a painted edge or a corian edge? Definitely laminate though.

Do you think I can I safely just peel it off?

Um no

You can replace the whole thing.

attached a pic underneath. I think it may be Corian edge as JuneKNow said. So can't have someone replace the laminate with a different color? my wife hates the brown. cheaper to buy a new house :-) . what about that epoxy stuff I see people putting on top of counters?

How about this: Try peeling it off. If you end up making a mess of it, then your wife gets a new countertop! Please don’t do a DIY countertop like epoxy. 🤮

I just watched a video where they peeled off the laminate top, lightly sanded, and then did a cement overlay for a concrete countertop.

FeatherFinish by Ardex. It's pretty cheap to do, but has a few steps. would look way better than what you have!

wow, laminate with a Corian edge was a thing. learn something new every day!

maybe you can get all new Corian without breaking the bank -- great surface.

Thanks for the information everyone. I think taking the laminate off would be a hassle. Would do you think of cleaning the current laminate then applying a new piece of laminate right on top? It's thin so the thickness may not matter.

I'm with your wife, that is ugly. How about DIY butcherblock counters. Sounds better than trying to apply a new thin laminate on top. Apply tung oil and citrus solvent from Real Milk Paint Co. to "waterproof" butcherblock.

why not just remove it and get something else? You could do a new laminate (formica) and get rid of that funky edge.

look into butcher block. Ikea and floor and decor have some nice options. Not too expensive.

or look into Pre-fab countertops with granite or quartz.

Or, save up and just get a large slab of something you like.

Give the top and edges an acetone bath. Careful, it's flammable. Contact cement slightly oversized plastic laminate to the edges. flush with the bottom. Fill the gap between the edge profile and the top with Bondo. Belt sand the oversized edge and Bondo flush with the top. Contact cement an oversized piece of plastic laminate to the existing top. Wax the edge, then rout off the overage with a laminate trimming bit. Get the 7* bevel cutter please. File the edge to flush.

Classic plastic laminate tops. Cheap, fast (no pulling the existing tops) much better than cement or epoxy, and your wife loves the color.

Please do not slap a bandaid over this and call it a day. I'm with @Beth H. : I agree with your wife and I think it's horrible. However, assuming it's in fine working condition, why not use it, save up for what you want and have a pro remove this and install something nicer?

I would suggest leaving it in place until you decide to replace the whole top with either another laminate, granite, Corian, or some other material. The hassle of removing it and cleaning what is below very well may turn this into a long term aesthetic headache

Even with instructions from Joe and Beth, changing this the “cheap” way will make a mess and you can end up with something uglier. If you get quotes from local contractors for laminate, butcher block, concrete, etc. at least you KNOW what a new, professionally installed countertop will cost. Then start saving . This DIY project could be a nightmare during and after. If your wife is unhappy now....

The laminate itself will usually come off easily with a heat gun and putty knife.

Some people just have to learn by making their own mistakes .

You might be able to replace the laminate but you'd still end up with...that.

I would start checking out new countertop options. When you find one that is okay, start taking this one apart. You will have a backup planned if this goes badly. :)